Mari Carr's Blog, page 74

Cooking with Heat

Susan’s back for one last day of recipes! Anyone tried one of the others yet. I’ve tried more than a few of Susan’s delicious recipes and I swear she’s never steered me wrong yet. The woman can COOK!

Sherrill’s Fruit Salad

I got this fruit salad from someone I worked with years ago. It makes a huge batch, and is SO, SO good!

Just a reminder to mention that it has nuts, for those with allergies.

1 large or 2 small cans of mandarin oranges

2 large cans of fruit cocktail

2 large cans of chunk pineapple

3 large bananas, cut up

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional – I never put them!)

2 large containers of whipped cream

1 large package of pistachio pudding, prepared

Combine pudding and cool whip. Add drained fruit, bananas and nuts. Chill.

And let’s not forget Corn on the Cob! It doesn’t seem like summer here without it.

Our favorite way to make it – peel the husks down but don’t remove, remove the silks, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pull husks back up and wrap in aluminum foil. Cook on the grill.

Even though Misplaced Cowboy takes place in New York in November, Dylan and Monet finds ways to heat things up. This book releases TOMORROW and I cannot wait!!!

“You’d make a fortune inNew York as a life-drawing model at all the art schools.”

Dylan studied her. His groin grew tight. “I’m very particular about who I strip in front of.”

Monet’s stare jerked back to his face and he couldn’t miss the way her breasts heaved as she hitched in a quick breath. “Really?”

Holding her gaze, he rose slowly to his feet, released his buckle, unzipped his fly, pushed his jeans down and kicked them aside.

“Oh god, Dylan.” An expression flickered across her face, like pained torment. “Do you know what you’re doing to me?”

He swallowed, unable to look away. “No contact. No touching. Just drawing…or whatever you’re doing behind the easel. We’re adults, Monet. We can control ourselves.”

A short, sharp snort came from her. “Speak for yourself, buster. Looking at you naked…I don’t think it’s drawing I’ll be doing behind this easel.”

“Do you want me to put my jeans back on?”

His question seemed to scratch at his throat like sandpaper.

She shook her head, lifted her chin and then stepped back behind the easel again.

Fifteen minutes later, Dylan swore he’d never boast of being able to control himself again. Every time Monet looked at him, her inspection moving over his naked form, he had to grit his teeth. His cock was already semi-hard. It was all he could do to keep it in that state. Conversation became stilted. He knew why. They were both fighting it, the attraction they felt for each other. They may be talking about Farpoint andAustralia, but they were thinking about sex. With each other. Taking off his jeans had been—

“Finished.”

He started at Monet’s soft proclamation.

She was standing beside the easel again, one hand resting on the edge of the board, the fingers of the other gripping a stub of charcoal. A black smudge streaked across her right cheek and above her left eye. Her hair tumbled about her face in a cascade of waves. Her color was high, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. He’d never seen her look so sexy.

He straightened from the stool. “May I look?”

She took a step backward and nodded.

His heart thumped fast. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Snatching up his jeans, he shoved in one leg and then the other. Being beside her naked would only be asking for more trouble than he was already in. Jesus, he couldn’t even tuck his dick into his jeans without ropes of pleasure unfurling through his body.

It took him forever to zip up his fly. His hands shook, for fuck’s sake.

Jesus bloody Christ, Sullivan. Get a grip.

Monet waited. Silent.

Six steps later—she counted them in an attempt to calm his charged state—he stood at the easel and let out a long, ragged breath.

“Damn, Monet.” He stared at the drawing before him, his image captured with such powerful, confident strokes he was at a loss for what to say. “That’s incredible.”

“Thank you.”

Heart wild in his chest, blood roaring in his ears, he turned to her.

She was studying her work, an expression of revelation lighting up her face. “I was wrong,” she said suddenly, her voice hushed. “It’s not your accent, it’s your grin.”

“What’s my grin?”

“What gets me so much about you. I thought it was your accent but it’s your grin. It’s the sexiest, most infectious, most honest smile I’ve ever—”

He kissed her before she could finish. He simply had no hope of stopping himself.

No fucking hope at all.

Misplaced Cowboy is available for preorder at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

View more on Mari Carr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on August 13, 2012 22:50

Cooking with Heat

Susan is back for day two of our scorching side dishes and sizzlin’ snippets! It’s Cooking with Heat…summer-style.

Carrot-Pineapple Jell-o Salad

This is a salad (though more like a dessert!) that we used to fight over as kids. I made it again a few weeks ago, and it was as good as I remembered. Luckily, none of my brothers were around to swipe mine!

2 – 3oz boxes orange jell-o

1 – 16oz can crushed pineapple (sweetened or unsweetened), drain and reserve juice

1 ¾ cups shredded carrots

Make jell-o according to package directions, using the reserved pineapple juice in place of part of the water.

Place in fridge and let it set until the consistency of pudding (1-2 hours maybe?). At this point, add in the pineapple and shredded carrots and stir well.

Place back in fridge to finish setting.

Time to heat things up with an excerpt from Misplaced Princess. If I’ve learned anything through my collaboration with Lexxie Couper, it’s that it’s DAMN HOT in Oz in the summer!

“Damn. Storm coming.”

She turned, surprised to see Hunter standing so close behind her. A quick look showed that he’d folded up the blanket and put it and the food back in the pack.

She was sorry to leave. “I guess we should head back.”

He nodded, looking up. “Not sure we’re going to beat it. Think we’re about to get pissed on from a great height.”

As if he’d dared the gods, rain began to fall. Unlike the storms at home, this one skipped the drizzle and got straight to the good part.

Sheets of water fell, soaking her in an instant. The quick, unexpected change caught her unaware and her mouth fell open.

Hunter wiped his eyes. Grinning, he shook his head and shrugged. “Looks like a belly washer.”

Annie had never found pleasure in rain. In New York, the skies would go dark and gray for days on end, never producing more than a few measly icy-cold drops at a time. This rain felt different. It cooled her overheated skin, washing away the sweat, the grime, the smell of the horse. It was like bathing in a beautiful waterfall.

She lifted her arms and spun around. “It’s incredible!”

Hunter watched her with humor in his eyes. “It’s just rain, you bloody crazy Yank.”

“Maybe. But it feels so good.”

Hunter’s laughter died as his eyes drifted over her body hungrily. She glanced down and suddenly understood why men loved wet t-shirt contests so much. Her white shirt was sheer and it clung to her body, revealing every curve she possessed.

Her nipples were dark and erect. She wanted to blame it on the sudden chill, but she knew it had more to do with arousal.

Hunter had removed his hat and his hair was slick, wet. He pushed it away from his face.

She lowered her arms as both of them continued to stare at each other.

Then they moved at the same time.

Annie didn’t have time to consider her actions when Hunter’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. She gripped his face, forcing his lips to hers.

Hunter’s kiss was hot and deep, passionate. Annie turned her head, trying to get more of him. They’d curbed one hunger with food. Now they were satisfying a different kind of starvation.

She ran her hands over his shoulders, dragging her fingers along his muscular arms. Hunter lifted his palms to her breasts, encapsulating her flesh with his large hands. He squeezed them and she moaned into his mouth.

The storm continued to pound down, but the force of the rain only drove their needs higher. Annie reached around Hunter and grasped his ass, her fingers digging into his jeans, pushing his erection against her stomach.

She longed to feel him inside her. Hunter pinched her nipples, the sharp, pleasurable pain sending shards of arousal to her pussy. She pulled away from the kiss slightly and gasped, but Hunter drew her back, refusing to free her lips.

Water dripped from their clothing. Annie gripped his soaked jeans tighter. She needed more than this. Tugging at the hem of his t-shirt, she untucked it and slipped her hands beneath. Bare, smooth skin met her fingertips. Hunter hissed when her chilled hands stroked his nipples, but he didn’t break the union of their lips.

His tongue tangled with hers, then he nipped her lower lip. She returned the sensual attack. Hunter’s fingers twisted in her hair. He tightened his hold, pulling the tresses until she thought she’d explode. So fucking good. So hot.

She’d spent a lifetime dreaming of a kiss like this, never finding a man who wanted her with a mindless, uncontrollable passion that could match hers. Annie dragged her nails along Hunter’s chest, desperate to mark him, to scratch this moment permanently into his skin, his memory.

Misplaced Princess is available at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, Sony, All Romance Ebooks and Barnes and Noble.

View more on Mari Carr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on August 12, 2012 22:39

Cooking with Heat

Susan’s back with some awesome summer side dishes to accompany BBQs, to take to family picnics or just to spice up your Monday night dinner. So…for the next three days we’re pairing yummy recipes with some scorching snippets.

Uncle Charlie’s Potato Salad (makes 5 lbs)

This potato salad was my grandfather’s recipe. He used to work in a German deli in Brooklyn, so you know this one is good!

It doesn’t need the mayonnaise, but you can add it if you like.

5 lbs small potatoes, boiled and sliced (you can peel them if you like)

1 TBS salt

3 TBS sugar

½ cup water

½ cup cider vinegar

2 TBS oil

1 medium onion, grated

dash of white pepper

mayonnaise (optional)

When cooking potatoes: to test for doneness, poke with a matchstick. If it goes in and the potato falls off when it is lifted, they are done. Once they are boiled, peel then (easier to do while they are still hot) and slice.

Bring water and vinegar to a boil. Mix all other ingredients (except mayonnaise) in a large bowl. Add water and vinegar mixture. Mix well. Cool. Add mayonnaise to taste.

How about a sizzlin’ snippet to go with our scorching side dish?

This is from Screwdriver, book 2 of Cocktales.

Casey looked closer at the AC unit. “Damn. I was afraid of that.”

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I was hoping it was an issue with the belt, but the motor bearings are shot. I’m going to need to order a part.”

“So it’s not getting fixed today?”

“I’ll see if I can rig a work around for the time being.” He stood and stretched. “God bless it,Jordan. I apologize if this offends you, but it’s hot as hell in here.” Reaching for the hem of his t-shirt, he whipped the thin cotton over his head and fanned himself with it.

Her now-familiar blush returned and Casey felt compelled to prod, to see if his suspicions aboutJordan’s underlying naughty side were true. “Just so you know, I absolutely will not be upset if you decide to follow suit and work shirtless for the rest of the afternoon.”

The twinkle in her eyes let him know she enjoyed his joke. “I’m fine with my shirt on.”

“You sure?” he teased, taking a step closer. “I don’t mind helping you peel it off.” He reached out but she darted away, her smile widening.

“Casey,” she said, swatting his hands away. She dodged behind the AC unit and he followed.

The two of them played a quick game of cat and mouse as Casey chased her around the storage closet.

He’d just captured her,Jordansquealing loudly, when the door to the closet opened.

“Jordan? Are you okay?” a deep voice asked from the hallway.

Gabriel peered around the door and Casey wondered what his best friend thought he was seeing. They certainly presented a risqué picture—Casey shirtless, his arms wrapped aroundJordanfrom behind while she laughed.

“Hey, Gabe.” Casey releasedJordanand pulled his shirt back on. “What are you doing here?”

Gabriel’s response was slow in coming as his gaze traveled from Casey toJordan. “I was checking on your progress.” Gabriel’s eyes landed back on Casey’s face and they narrowed angrily. “Looks like you’re making some.”

Shit. Casey’s suspicions about Gabe’s feelings forJordanwere confirmed in an instant. His friend was hot for the accountant.

Problem was…so was Casey.

“We were taking a break,” he explained.

Gabriel looked atJordan, his expression softening. “You’re blood-red,Jordan. You need to get out of this heat.”

Casey glanced at her face. Gabriel made the same mistake he had.Jordanwasn’t hot. She was blushing. Big time.

“I’m okay, Gabe. No worries,” she answered. “I can see why you two are friends. Casey’s cure for the heat wave is going topless too.”

Gabriel’s expression darkened even further as he snapped his gaze to Casey once more. “Topless?”

Screwdriver is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, All Romance Ebooks, Kobo and Ellora’s Cave.

View more on Mari Carr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on August 11, 2012 22:23

Saturday Snippet

After the heaviness of last week’s snippets, today we thought we’d tackle the lighter side of life. Because after all “Life is beautiful!” As I tried to think of a fun story, one with an upbeat feeling, Sugar and Spice immediately came to mind.

Snippet:

“Hey there, baby. What do you have sweet in those drawers for me today?”

Ginny Brooks narrowed her eyes. “I told you yesterday to stay out of my candy stash. You ate the last of the Tootsie Rolls and I really need a Tootsie Roll today.”

“Yikes. That time of the month, Brooks?” Travers joked as he pulled open the top drawer of her desk.

“Get bent.” She slapped his hand away before he could grab the last of the SweeTarts.

“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Travers asked as Charlie Anderson came out of his office.

As office manager for her rag-tag bunch of engineers and best friends, Ginny and her desk were situated in the main entryway and surrounded by the three partners’ offices. She was used to having no privacy.

She was also accustomed to the way none of them used first names with each other—only last names. Travers had insisted that the others start calling him by his last name in sixth grade since there was another Ryan in their class and he refused to be referred to as Ryan T. Ginny couldn’t for the life of her figure out why that request had boomeranged back on the rest of them as well. Nonetheless, she’d been Brooks for nearly two decades. Hell, even her parents called her Brooks.

She spent her days working at Travers, Taylor and Anderson Engineering, or as Ginny liked to tease them, the T and A firm. At the moment, she was wondering why she’d ever thought it would be a good idea to work with friends.

“She just got the brush-off call from her boyfriend,”Andersonanswered before she could say a word in response to Travers’ obnoxious comment.

“The lawyer?” Travers asked andAndersonnodded. “Fucking bastard. I’m glad he dumped you. You don’t wanna date lawyers. They’re slimeballs.”

“Just once, do you guys think you could mind your own business?”

Andersonchuckled. “Where’s the fun in that?”

She leaned her head back against her office chair and sighed heavily. “I really need some chocolate.”

“Shit, Brooks. Don’t you have any in your secret stash? That’s why I came out here.”Andersonfrowned.

“Don’t blame me,” she replied. “Travers polished off nearly half a bag of Tootsie Rolls yesterday.”

Andersonturned his narrowed gaze to his partner and she smirked at Travers.

“Snitch,” Travers snarled at her. “It’s your damn fault for keeping that candy in the office. It just tempts me. You know I’ve got a sweet tooth.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Oh that’s right. It’s my fault you’re a pig. I should have realized. I apologize. From now on, I’ll keep the candy hidden in my car.”

“Don’t you dare!”Andersonbarked.

“Don’t you dare what?” Alex Taylor asked, coming out of his office no doubt to investigate the commotion.

Ginny rolled her eyes in frustration. How these men ever got any work done was beyond her. They were nosier than a pack of old women.

“Brooks is threatening to cut off the sweets supply.”

“Don’t you dare!”Tayloryelled, adding his two cents’ worth on the subject.

Ginny ignored him and decided she’d better nip the boyfriend misinformation in the bud. “And for your information, I didn’t get dumped. Liam was assigned a big case and he has to work through the weekend. That’s all.”

“Weren’t you supposed to go out of town together this weekend?” Travers asked. “I thought you and the asshole lawyer were doing a romantic getaway for your birthday.”

“Well…” Ginny attempted to swallow down the lump of disappointment that had been lingering since Liam’s call half an hour earlier. “We’ll just have to reschedule, I suppose.”

Travers slammed his hand down on her cluttered desk. “Dammit, Brooks, we wanted to throw you a big party, but you said you wanted to go away for this stupid weekend with Mr. Shit-for-Brains.”

“You know, Travers. He has a name. It’s Liam. Would you mind trying to refer to him as such?” Ginny was used to Travers insulting all her boyfriends and usually it didn’t bother her. In fact, most of the time she thought it was sort of funny. However, today she wasn’t in the mood.

“Well, this is just great,”Andersonadded, his voice laced with annoyance. “There’s no wayTaylorand I would have made plans for this weekend if we’d known your boyfriend was going to be such a jerk.”

Ginny grinned. “That’s sweet,Anderson, but don’t worry about me. Believe me, turning thirty is nothing to celebrate.”

“You gotta be kidding me!” Travers looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “We partied our asses off for my thirtieth.”

Giggling, Ginny shook her head. “Travers, I’m still hung over from your birthday party and that was six months ago.”

“Ah crap, Brooks,”Taylorsaid, interrupting her laughter. “We have to leave now or we’re going to miss our flight. You sure you don’t want us to cancel?”

“What?” Ginny teased. “And stand up the poor McDermont twins? No way, fellas. I’m not having that on my head. You two have been bragging about this debauched double date for weeks. Besides, I’m looking forward to hearing all the disgustingly dirty details on Monday. Go. Have fun and don’t behave yourselves. I’ll be fine.”

“’Course you will,” Travers chimed in. “I’m taking you out tonight.”

Sugar and Spice is available at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks, Kobo and Sony.

Want more snippets?

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Leah Braemel

Eliza Gayle

Mandy M Roth

Lissa Matthews

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

HelenKay Dimon

Lauren Dane

TJ Michaels

Shelli Stevens

Jody Wallace

View more on Mari Carr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on August 10, 2012 22:22

Five for Friday

Today’s five pages come from my romantic suspense story, Covert Lessons.

Chapter One

“Why me?”

“You know why, Ms. Finch. Now if you would please sit down, I will explain more fully.”

Kelly Finch sat heavily in the leather chair across the desk from her boss, Mr. Hallstrom. As principal of Lowell High School, Mr. Hallstrom had a lovely corner office complete with not one, but two big windows allowing copious amounts of natural light to shine on the large wooden desk and dark brown leather office chairs. She could see a few January flurries flying about outside.

Kelly, on the other hand, would have killed for one lousy peephole to the outside world in her fluorescent hell of an English classroom. Her metal teacher’s desk was so battered and beaten she would swear it had gone ten rounds with George Foreman and, as a result, only two of the four desk drawers closed completely. Her desk chair was the straight-back wooden model with no wheels. Every time she stood up, it scraped across the vinyl floor with an ear-piercing shriek that made her teeth ache. And with the lack of windows, she never knew what the weather was. Hell, a monsoon could hit and she wouldn’t know.

“Mr. Hallstrom,” she began, but her comments were cut short by the look of impatience on her usually mild-mannered principal’s face.

“Kelly.”

Oh shit. That was a sure sign she didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of winning this argument. Mr. Hallstrom never used anyone’s first name. He didn’t feel it was professional. The faculty liked to joke that he probably even called his wife Mrs. Hallstrom in bed at night. Turn off that light and give me a kiss, Mrs. Hallstrom. Kelly attempted to stifle her grin at the thought.

“I know you are well aware of our problems with gang activity within the school,” he continued.

She simply nodded. She’d have to be a fool not to know about the gangs taking over the hallways. In the last week, she’d broken up two small skirmishes outside her classroom. Another teacher had been injured badly enough breaking up a fight three weeks ago that he’d had to be taken to the hospital and treated for a sprained wrist and mild concussion.

“The superintendent is breathing down my neck to get the situation under control. The best way to do that is to bring in people who are more experienced in dealing with gangs.”

“I understand that, sir,” she answered. “But that doesn’t explain why I have to play host to a cop in my classroom.”

“Ms. Finch,” Mr. Hallstrom answered sternly. “By your own choice, you teach most of the students we suspect are taking part in these illegal activities. Quite frankly, I don’t know how you deal with all of them but that’s neither here nor there. Lt. McNally will be placed in your classroom under the guise of student teacher. No one will know he’s a police officer except you, me, the superintendent and the gang task force he’s working with. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir,” she grumbled.

“Ms. Finch.” Mr. Hallstrom returned to his usual stoic self now that he had secured her agreement. “The gang task force was opposed to you being privy to this investigation, but I insisted upon your involvement. I hope you will not disappoint me in trusting you with this extremely sensitive information.”

“No sir,” she answered. “I won’t tell anyone. That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it though.”

“I didn’t think you would be,” her principal admitted. At the sound of his tired voice, she looked—really looked—at his face for the first time since entering the room. No doubt his claim about the superintendent’s anger was true. There were dark circles under his eyes and a tightness around his mouth that wasn’t normally present.

It wasn’t his fault the composition of the student body had changed so rapidly. Rising housing costs in the nearby city had driven folks out into the suburbs, bringing with them the gangs so typically associated with much larger urban populations. As a result,LowellHigh School, her alma mater, no longer resembled the small-town school she’d loved as a teenager.

“He isn’t a teacher,” she argued, though she knew it was a lost cause.

“No, he isn’t,” Mr. Hallstrom added. “However, by posing as a student teacher, he can get away with observing for a few weeks. If it’s necessary for him to remain longer than that, perhaps you can walk him through a few easy lessons for appearance’s sake. The students won’t suspect anything and it shouldn’t really affect your teaching at all. Do what you would normally do.”

“While the good lieutenant sits in the back of my classroom like a spider collecting flies?” she asked, her temper rising. Maybe her students weren’t saints but she thought if she had enough time, she could pull some of them back from the lure of gangs. Most of her kids came from broken homes with oft-absent parents and unbelievable poverty. It was only natural they would flock to a group that promised them a loyal family and the chance to make money. Most of them were hungry and would do anything for a full belly and a little bit of attention.

As a result, she’d specifically requested the high-risk students be placed in her English classes and had begun an after-school tutoring program. She knew the hours right after school were the times when kids were at the highest risk because most parents, if they worked, were still toiling away. She was able to entice students to remain at school by feeding them. Her motto with the kids was simple. “We don’t eat, we don’t meet.” By providing snacks, she ensured her room was usually packed with kids who were willing to discuss an extra poem or read silently for another hour if it meant they got a peanut butter and banana sandwich or giant chocolate chip cookie.

“Ms. Finch.” Mr. Hallstrom rose from his chair and moved to stand before her. “No one knows better than I do how hard you work for those kids, but the fact of the matter is we are losing this battle.”

“The battle,” she interrupted, “not the war. Wars take time. Battles—mere minutes.”

Mr. Hallstrom continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “It’s time to ask for help. Lt. McNally and his team can provide it. Later this week, we’re having a faculty meeting in which some members of McNally’s team are going to help us identify gang clothing, symbols, etcetera. We’re going to crack down on dress code rules that prohibit bandanas, hats and other gang-related attire. We are adopting a zero-tolerance attitude. In a couple of weeks, there’s a one-day conference in the city for educators and the police. It discusses ways to eradicate the threat of gangs in schools. I want you to go.”

“Me?” she asked, startled.

“You’ll be our faculty liaison. Go to the conference with Lt. McNally, learn all you can, then come back and do a presentation for the faculty.” He smiled kindly at her, as if by treating the idea like a privilege she would be fooled into thinking she hadn’t just had a ton of extra work dumped into her lap.

“I hate Mondays,” she muttered, wondering why she’d bothered to get out of bed.

“Excuse me?”

“I said why me?” she asked, repeating her earlier question.

“You know why, Ms. Finch,” he replied again. “Because you really care about the kids here and I know you want these gangs stopped as much as I do. I’ve certainly noticed your efforts toward that goal.”

A knock at the door stopped her from responding to Mr. Hallstrom’s unexpected praise. She’d always suspected she was actually a bit of a thorn in her harried principal’s life. She tried to be a team player, but more often than not she found herself in the role of protector, coming up against administration time after time in order to help one of her kids.

She’d spent her entire planning period earlier in the day trying to get Maria, a pregnant teen in her third period, out of a one-day suspension. The pregnancy had so far been a difficult one for the young girl in terms of morning sickness. For weeks she’d begged Kelly to keep her pregnancy a secret, which she’d agreed to only on the condition that Maria see a doctor. Maria did, but despite her embarrassment over the situation, her blossoming midsection was going to give her away very soon. After receiving her fifth unexcused tardy to school, Maria was issued the suspension. Kelly had finally convinced the girl to explain her condition to the guidance counselor and the school nurse—then pleaded with the assistant principal to forgo the suspension, given the fact her tardies were due to morning sickness.

Voices at the doorway disrupted her thoughts as she watched the most stunning man she’d ever seen walk right out of her dreams and into the principal’s office.

Ooh la la!

He had light brown hair—a bit long and tousled in a just-rolled-out-of-bed look—and his face had a five o’clock shadow. He wasn’t what she would call a pretty boy, but he had a chiseled jaw and honest-to-God green eyes. His breathtaking face, however, was just the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae that was his body.

Holy mother.

Tall and muscular and built exactly the way a man ought to be.

Man, oh man.

Scratch the dream part—she would never have been so bold as to create this Greek god in any of her suddenly lackluster fantasies and she silently prayed she wasn’t drooling.

Mr. Hallstrom turned to introduce her.

“Kelly Finch,” he began, “this is Lt. Jared McNally.”

“You’re the cop?” she blurted in disbelief. This perfect specimen of a man was going to be sitting in the back of her classroom for God knew how long and she was supposed to teach as if she weren’t thinking incredibly naughty thoughts? Yeah right.

The lieutenant had the audacity to merely smirk at what must have seemed like a rude remark.

“Yes, Ms. Finch. He is,” Mr. Hallstrom said rather sharply, but McNally extended his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Finch.” His voice was smooth as silk and made her feel like an even bigger ass. “Your principal speaks very highly of you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Lieutenant.” She took the hand he proffered, but she didn’t expect the firm handshake to rattle her the way it did. Touching this man was like touching a live wire. Electricity sparked throughout her body and she wondered if this was what people meant when they talked about spontaneous combustion.

Criminy. When was the last time she’d had sex?

Oh yeah, that’s right, I live in Loserville.

She thought it had been at least a year, but in reality it may actually be closer to double that. No wonder the sexy cop was getting to her.

“That’s Mr. McNally,” he corrected her. “It’s very important that you never refer to my rank, Ms. Finch. I’m just a poor, lowly student teacher.”

“Of course.” She quickly pulled her hand away when she realized she was still clinging to his.

“I assume Mr. Hallstrom briefed you on our operation.” He was attempting and failing miserably to hide a smug grin that let her know he knew exactly how much and in what way he was affecting her. She cursed her flushing cheeks.

Cocky bastard. She hated him already. Could you hate someone in a lustful way?

“It’s imperative that you keep the true reason for my presence in your classroom a secret. No one must know—not your mother, your best friend, your husband.”

Ah, smooth. She noticed his brief hesitation as he asked about a husband. Maybe she wasn’t the only one feeling the heat between them.

“My mother is in Florida, my best friend is a cat and I’m not married.” This time her answers were cool and she felt as if she’d redeemed herself a bit. “I’m perfectly capable of keeping a secret, Mister McNally,” she said, stressing his title. “If you were so concerned about my involvement, I’m surprised you bothered to tell me at all. Why not keep me in the dark?”

Mr. Hallstrom answered quickly, his voice soothing as he replied. Obviously he sensed the tense undertones between her and Mr. Arrogant. “As I said earlier, I insisted you be included, Ms. Finch. There was no way, given Lt. McNally’s lack of educational training, that he would be able to fool you for long.”

“Besides,” McNally added, “I need to time to focus on my investigation and not waste it planning lessons to con one teacher.”

“Planning lessons to educate children isn’t a waste of time.” She was painfully aware of how bitchy she was coming off in this whole conversation, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. Mr. Lieutenant was making her so hot, she was sweating.

McNally’s retort was calm and non-confrontational and once again, she cursed her wayward tongue. “Let’s just say I’m here for another purpose and leave it at that.”

Frustrated with the whole situation, she saw an out and took it. She looked at her principal. “If you have nothing else for me, I have some papers to grade in my classroom.”

“Actually,” McNally said, “I was hoping to spend some time briefing you in more detail about how I plan to proceed.”

“Why don’t you accompany Ms. Finch to her classroom?” Mr. Hallstrom was clearly seeing his own way to escape the entire scenario. “If you need anything else, Lt. McNally, please feel free to ask.” He walked them to the door. “Ms. Finch, I’ll e-mail you more information about that conference. Have a good afternoon.”

With that, he closed the door to his office, leaving her alone with McNally in the hallway.

“Looks like we’ve been dismissed,” McNally joked.

She merely raised her eyebrows at his words before turning and walking toward her classroom. If he wanted to continue their discussion, it would have to be somewhere much more private, even though the thought of being sequestered in her small classroom with the hot cop left her cheeks flushed and her insides squirming.

God, she really needed to get laid. Her reaction to this man was overblown, ridiculous.

Catching up to her, he kept pace and continued talking as if unaware of her attempts to lose him in the hallway.

“My friends call me Mac.”

Covert Lessons is available at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobo and All Romance Ebooks.

Want five more first pages? Check out these sites!

View more on Mari Carr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on August 09, 2012 22:51

Hottest Hero, Round 2

All Romance Ebooks‘ Summer’s Hottest Hero contest continues today with Round 2. It’s in his kiss and Jarod from Party Naked is still in the running! Check out the competition to read excerpts that share the heroes’ first kisses! Hot!

In ROUND 2 – First Kiss runs from Aug 8 – Aug 14 a nd a PRIZE will be AWARDED as One random voter will receive a $25.00 gift certificate.

I hope you’ll show a little love to all the heroes! Here’s my “kiss” excerpt from Jarod.

As if sensing sudden danger, the detective turned, his gaze catching hers as she approached. She enjoyed the myriad emotions that covered his face in the few short steps it took her to reach him—surprise, annoyance, anger and, finally, was that regret? The last pulled her up short for a moment, then she drew near.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t De—”
The detective grabbed her shoulders, pulled her toward him and cut off her words with a kiss that left her stunned motionless for a full thirty seconds.
What the hell?
She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but the man was relentless. He turned his head slightly, his tongue brushing her lower lip. She gasped and he took advantage, opening her mouth even more for his beautiful assault.
Stephanie might be angry, but she appreciated a good kiss as much as the next woman, and it seemed a shame to interrupt the man when he was on a roll. Then she recalled the ticket and his rudeness. She shoved at his chest again, but he dipped his tongue in farther, the brief scent and flavor of peppermint on his breath making her mouth water.
Anger. Arousal. Those two emotions seemed to be in direct opposition and she was torn. Should she break the contact—and his neck—or hang on and enjoy the ride? For all his personality defects, the cop could work magic with his mouth. Holy wow.
He stroked her tongue with his, touching it with quick, teasing brushes. His hands moved from her shoulders to her face, cupping her cheeks, and Stephanie felt herself go molten, her panties suddenly wet. She was a sucker for a sexy kisser and a good face hold. God, she loved it when a guy touched her cheeks so sweetly.
After a few hours, the detective pulled away, though his face was so close to hers, she could feel his hot breath on her skin. With a bit of distance between them, Stephanie’s wits began to return.
“Are you mental?” she whispered, too breathless to speak louder.
“No.”
His answer was too quick, too pat, too unsatisfying.
“You better have a damn good reason for doing that, Offi—”
He covered her mouth with his again. Rather than repeating the initial, long, soul-searching kiss, this time it was harder, hungrier. The horny fool inside her returned the effort…with interest.

View more on Mari Carr's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on August 08, 2012 22:15

Armed and Delicious

Lynn LaFleur is stopping by the blog today to talk about her new release, Armed and Delicious…which I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on!

Lynn: I’m often asked where I get my ideas for my books. That’s such a hard question to answer. Ideas come from everywhere…an overheard conversation, a news story, a song. Then there are those plots that simply pop into my head without any warning. That’s what happened with Rent-A-Stud, the first book in my Coopers’ Companions series.

When I wrote that book, I had no idea it would be the first book in a series. But I liked my hero, Zachary Cooper, and the other characters so much, I knew they deserved their own books. Zach’s sister Michelle stars in Michelle’s Men, his brother Brent’s book is Almost Perfection. I thought three books would be enough. Then I started receiving emails asking for Breanna’s book.

Breanna is the daughter of Jade, Zach’s love in Rent-A-Stud. She’s strong willed, stubborn, and spoiled. A woman who possesses those three S’s must have her own story, right? She’d have to have a hero who’s also strong and a little stubborn too. Detective Evan Stone seemed perfect for Breanna. At least, to me. To her, not so much at first. But she soon learns what she thought would be the perfect man wouldn’t fit with her at all. Evan fits perfectly, in every way.

I loved writing Armed and Delicious. I hope you enjoy it.

* * * * *

Excerpt from Armed and Delicious by Lynn LaFleur

www.lynnlafleur.com

“There’s an empty table in the corner,” Breanna said. “Would you like to sit down?”

“Sure.”

Plate in one hand, glass of champagne in the other, he followed her to the table. Once she took her seat, he took the chair to her left.

“Is this okay?” she asked before taking a sip of her champagne. “I don’t want you to feel as if I kidnapped you.”

Her eyes sparkled with humor. Evan couldn’t resist a little playful flirting. “Being kidnapped by a beautiful woman isn’t a bad thing.”

She dipped her head to acknowledge his compliment. “Thank you.”

Picking up his fork, he dug into the food on his plate. Each bite had him agreeing with Breanna about the rating scale. His taste buds did a happy dance in his mouth.

A low moan had his attention returning to Breanna. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the baked brie. The sound of pleasure reminded him of a woman in the throes of orgasm. His balls tightened in response. He looked at her silky hair, her long neck, her small breasts. A hint of her nipples showed through the material of her dress, enticing him to discover if she wore anything under that dress or if he’d find nothing but bare skin.

Down, fella, he told his cock as it gave an interested twitch.

She bit into her cracker piled with crab dip. Her chewing stopped when she met his gaze. “What?”

Her question made him realize he’d stared at her much longer than he should have. Instead of stumbling his way through an excuse, he gave a one-shouldered shrug and told her the truth. “Just admiring the view.”

A slow smile turned up her lips. Her gaze passed over his hair, shoulders, chest. “It’s pretty nice from where I’m sitting too. You look amazing in a tux.” She tilted her head to one side, swept her gaze over his shoulders and chest again. “I’ll bet you look pretty amazing out of it too.”

Leaning back in his chair, Evan folded his hands over his stomach. “Why, Ms. Talmage, are you propositioning me?”

“Do you want me to?”

She ate the rest of her cracker and slowly licked the dollop of crab dip from her top lip. His cock twitched again. If he didn’t get his mind on something else, he’d have a full erection in a matter of seconds. Although from the heat in Breanna’s eyes, she wouldn’t mind that a bit.

She picked up another cracker slathered with crab dip, bit off half. She held the other half to his mouth. “Want to try my dip?”

He could think of many things he’d rather try than her dip. Those perky nipples would be a good place to start. Holding her gaze with his, he leaned forward and parted his lips. Her lids slipped to half mast as she pressed the cracker into his mouth. Before she could move her hand, he held her wrist. He chewed, swallowed, then sucked off the bit of dip that clung to her fingertips.

View more on Mari Carr's website »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on August 07, 2012 22:34

Armed and Dangerous

Lynn LaFleur is stopping by the blog today to talk about her new release, Armed and Dangerous…which I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on!